He ran out of gas on a California road trip 27 years ago — and hasn’t been seen since

A search continues for clues in the mysterious 27-year-old disappearance of a man who ran out of gas on Highway 101, California authorities said.

Scott Paul Hayes, 19, set out from Humboldt County to visit his girlfriend in Southern California on Jan. 8, 1996, county sheriff’s officials said in a Sept. 6 news release.

His maroon Chevrolet Sonoma pickup truck was found the next day parked on the side of the highway near Redcrest, investigators said. Hayes had run out of gas.

Another driver later reported giving a ride to a man resembling Hayes who said he had run out of gas. The driver dropped him off on the side of the highway when he began acting strangely.

When the other driver returned 10 minutes later with gasoline, the stranded motorist was gone.

Another person reported seeing a man resembling Hayes acting strangely at a motel, where he was not given a room, sheriff’s officials said. The man was last seen walking away.

Hayes has not been seen since Jan. 9, 1996, and all leads “have been exhausted,” the sheriff’s office said.

He’s described as a white man, approximately 6 feet, 1 inch tall and 150 pounds, with blonde hair and hazel eyes

Investigators ask anyone with information to call detective Mike Fridley at 707-441-3024 or leave an anonymous tip at 707-268-2539.

Redcrest is about 230 miles north of San Francisco.

This story was originally published September 10, 2023 at 10:25 AM with the headline "He ran out of gas on a California road trip 27 years ago — and hasn’t been seen since."